Kim Hye-kyung fined 1.5 million won for violating the election law..."Collusion relationship".

[Anchor]
Kim Hye-kyung, the wife of Democratic Party Chairman Lee Jae-myung, who is accused of paying for meals with a corporate card in Gyeonggi-do Province during the last presidential election, was fined 1.5 million won in the first trial.

The court admitted the conspiracy relationship, saying that the secretary apparently donated under Kim's acquiescence, but Kim's side announced its plan to appeal.

Reporter Chung Hyeon-woo reports.

[Reporter]
Nine months after Kim Hye-kyung, the wife of Democratic Party Chairman Lee Jae-myung, was handed over to trial on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act, the results of the first trial came out.

Kim has been on trial for paying 104,000 won for meals for six people, including the spouse of former and current lawmakers of the Democratic Party, with a corporate card in Gyeonggi-do Province in August 2021, when Lee, a former governor of Gyeonggi-do Province, ran for president.

The first trial court sentenced Kim to a fine of 1.5 million won.

At that time, he acknowledged the conspiracy relationship with Bae, the secretary who used the card.

The court said Bae had no motive to pay for the meal because of his own interests, but rather it was an act that benefited Kim, and in the end, Bae would have acted according to Kim's acquiescence or tolerance.

The court also viewed the payment details of another meal meeting at the same time, saying that the payment principle was not well followed.
Based on the fact that Mr. Bae ordered payment after speaking to Mr. Kim during the
process, we believe that Mr. Kim must have fully recognized Mr. Bae's payment.

The court evaluated that such an act was a donation through Bae, a public official at the time, and there was a risk of harming the fairness or transparency of the election.

Nevertheless, Kim denied the crime and pointed out that he was trying to shift the blame to Bae.

Kim stood in front of the reporters, but said nothing about the outcome of the trial.

Kim's side said they will appeal, saying there is no evidence that the first trial court conspired, but they found him guilty only under indirect circumstances.

[Kim Chil-jun / Kim Hye-kyung's lawyer: I think it's a conviction based on reasoning and speculation. In the appeal trial, the so-called prosecution also revealed one by one what it claimed to be circumstances..]

The prosecution is also considering whether to appeal, saying the ruling confirmed that Gyeonggi Province paid for fruits and sandwiches delivered to Kim's home in a lump sum and paid for packaged food with a corporate card in Gyeonggi Province, and that it will reflect this in the ongoing investigation.

In the meantime, if the Supreme Court confirms the sentence of the first trial, which is a fine of more than 1 million won, Kim could be deprived of his right to vote for five years, making it impossible to support Lee.

I'm Jeong Hyeonwoo from YTN.

a photographer for
; Jang Myeong-ho
Edit Video;Juyeon Lee